Chapter 143

Chapter 143:

After breakfast, Glenn and Elaine made their way to the police station. When they finally saw Kristine, she looked like a completely different person. The days of detention had taken a toll on her—she was thinner, her hair unkempt, and her eyes hollow.

Upon hearing their decision, Kristine fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. “Dad, Mom, I’ve spent these days reflecting on everything. I know I’ve been wrong. You gave me a chance to live a wonderful life, and I threw it away. Worse, I tried to harm Madisyn. I’ve been such a fool.” Through her sobs, she continued, “Thank you for the opportunity. I’ll do my best to make the most of it out there. And if the chance comes, I promise I’ll repay you.”

Her crying was so intense that it was hard to tell if her tears were genuine or not.

Elaine sighed and handed her a card. “Someone’s waiting for you outside. Go on.”

Kristine took the card, her voice caught in her throat, nodded, and slowly walked away.

Meanwhile, Madisyn headed to the office.

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“Madisyn, did you arrange for Evie to join that singing competition?” Liza appeared just as Madisyn settled into her chair, her sharp features contorted with annoyance. “You know Evie hasn’t done well in school, right? Don’t you realize that if she embarrasses herself, it could damage our company’s reputation?”

Teresa chimed in, “Liza, please don’t be upset. I’m sure Madisyn has a plan. Who knows? Maybe Evie could actually place in the competition.”

Liza scoffed. “That’s absurd! If Evie had any talent, she wouldn’t have been so irrelevant for this long.” Her contempt was clear as she glared at Madisyn. “You’re completely clueless. I have no idea why the company even hired you.”

Madisyn met Liza’s gaze with an icy stare. “The results aren’t out yet. How can you be so certain she will embarrass us?”

Liza shot back, “It’s obvious what the outcome will be. If she doesn’t achieve a good ranking, you should consider leaving the company.”

The office fell silent, everyone shocked by the severity of Liza’s words.

Madisyn, unfazed, responded, “Fine. But if Evie makes it into the top three, will you agree to leave instead?”

The tension between them was palpable, as if a single word could ignite a full-blown confrontation.

Liza hadn’t anticipated such boldness from Madisyn.

“Alright, I accept the bet!” Liza let out a sarcastic laugh. “It doesn’t matter; Evie’s not making it into the top three. So, Madisyn, start packing your things.”

With that, Liza strutted back to her office, the sharp clicks of her high heels echoing down the hallway.

Teresa smirked, turning to Madisyn. “You’ve got some nerve crossing Liza like that.”

Madisyn shot back, “Well, I’m not in the habit of being someone else’s lapdog like you.”

Teresa’s smile vanished instantly. “Enjoy your arrogance while it lasts. I can’t wait to see how confident you are when you’re walking out the door.”

With a huff, Teresa returned to her work.

Madisyn had just started to focus on her computer when someone approached her. “Madisyn, it might be smarter not to go head-to-head with Liza. I know Evie’s skills, and honestly, she’s just average. There are some really talented singers in this competition. Giana’s competing too, and with her abilities, she’s almost guaranteed first place. It’s going to be tough for Evie to be in the top three.”

Madisyn looked at the sweet girl and smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this under control.”

The girl sighed, her concern evident, before heading back to her desk.

The first round of the singing competition was an online selection process, where only the talented ones would advance to the second round. Given Evie’s talent, it was almost certain she’d make it through this initial phase. But the second round was a different beast altogether—only the strongest contenders made it this far.

For the contest, each participant had to submit their own original song. Evie had crafted her track and sent it over to Madisyn for feedback. Madisyn made a few adjustments and then sent the track back to Evie.

Evie only expected a quick review, but when Madisyn sent the track back, it was something entirely different. The edits Madisyn had made? They were nothing short of phenomenal.

Evie stared at the revised track in disbelief. She quickly called Madisyn. “Hey, be straight with me. Did you bring in a pro for this?”

Madisyn chuckled softly. “You could say that. So, what do you think?”

“It’s amazing! Honestly, I’m not exaggerating—I could make it to the final with this. If I nail the performance, I might even take the championship!” Evie was over the moon, absolutely in love with the song.

Madisyn smiled, though her eyes grew distant. She was lost in thought. There was a time when she wrote songs like this for Giana as well. But in the end, Giana cast her aside.

On the day of the second round of competition, Madisyn escorted Evie to the venue, where they were met with the sight of Giana and Jenna basking in the adoration of a crowd.

Giana, the name on everyone’s lips, was expected to win the championship in this competition.

“Giana, I’m dying to hear your new track! But what happened last time? You were unstoppable in the second round, but the final… what went wrong?” someone asked from the throng.

Giana’s smile wavered, a flicker of discomfort crossing her face. The song that had dazzled everyone in the second round? That had been Madisyn’s creation. But for the final, Giana had insisted on showcasing her own work. She’d toiled through the night, pouring her soul into every lyric, and even enlisted her teacher for some last-minute refinements.

Victory seemed certain—until it wasn’t. Third place was all she could muster. The memory still stung. Her final performance was seen as a misstep, a song that paled in comparison to the one Madisyn had crafted.

For a professional like Giana, the realization was harsh: her self-penned melody hadn’t stood a chance against Madisyn’s genius.

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